Love and Devotion
by liketolaugh
Summary: They think that they do not understand love and devotion, faith and trust, but Agni and Soma, watching them interact, disagree. How can people who are so very close not understand things like that? Now a twoshot!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This came into my head - at midnight last night. How lovely. PLOT BUNNIES ARE EATING MY BRAINZ. D:**

**Title: Love and Devotion**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: None**

**Genre: Spiritual/Friendship**

**Warnings: None? I think.**

**Summary: They think that they do not understand love and devotion, faith and trust, but Agni and Soma, watching them interact, disagree. How can people who are so very close not understand things like that?**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.**

* * *

Agni stood behind Soma, watching as Sebastian and Ciel seemed to go over some sort of plan.

Sebastian frowned at Ciel and pointed out, "You are in the shadows, my lord. Thus, most of those in the light either do not know, or do not understand."

Ciel sighed. "Yes, I'm aware. However, a select few can be, if not trusted, then at least used. I know Aberline can be trusted, and in most cases Sir Randall does not have much choice in the matter."

"They argue as if they are equals," Agni commented, watching them argue back and forth. "Most masters would think that Mister Sebastian is being presumptuous, but Lord Ciel does not seem to even notice." He did not think that his prince would object if he himself did the same, but he did not think that he trusted himself not to be presumptuous about it. But Mister Sebastian argued with his master, while still being every inch the respectful butler. Agni didn't think that he could do the same, even if he tried.

"Ciel trusts Sebastian, not only with his life, but I think with his secrets and thoughts as well," Soma agreed. Even if he knew that Agni would keep his secrets, he didn't want to be too blunt and hurt the man, and he couldn't bear the thought of if he told Agni something that made the man stop trusting him. "And it is as if they are reading each others' minds - they seem to know what the other will say before it is even said."

"They claim not to understand trust," Agni commented, "But I do not see how what they have can be interpreted as anything other than complete faith in each other."

"Ciel has nothing but faith in his khansama, and Sebastian is completely devoted to his master," Soma agreed, then added hurriedly, worried he might have hurt Agni, "Not to imply that you are not, Agni."

Agni smiled at Soma. "I understand, my prince. I am very much devoted to you, but Mister Sebastian's devotion to Lord Ciel is something to behold." Soma nodded in agreement, relieved that Agni had understood.

"And yet he claims not to understand love and devotion," Agni mused.

"And Ciel has never once doubted his _khansama,_" Soma added, watching as Sebastian said something, causing Ciel to scowl at him, which made Sebastian smirk. "And he claims to not have faith or trust in anyone. How can a pair so close claim not to understand such things?"

"I do not know," Agni admitted.

They watched for another few moments, during which Ciel was cut off in the middle of a particularly long-winded explanation by a cough, to which Sebastian seemed to produce a cup of water from nowhere, accompanied by an amused smirk.

"Mister Sebastian seems to be able to anticipate his master's needs before Lord Ciel even voices them," Agni added, bowing his head slightly. "And yet he wonders why I insist he is a far superior _khansama _to myself."

"He scares me," muttered Soma, shuddering slightly. Agni smiled at him reassuringly. Then Soma's gaze tracked Ciel as the boy sighed and seemed to concede a point, moving on. "Have you ever noticed that all of Ciel's servants seem to love him? Not one of them seems to resent him, even a little bit. I wish I was that good of a master."

"You are an excellent master, my prince. I could not wish for a better one," Agni assured him, before agreeing. "But yes, I have indeed noticed that. Miss Maid even insisted on keeping spectacles that no longer worked for her, simply because Lord Ciel had given them to her. When I later informed him of the predicament, he acted as if it was a regular occurrence."

"I wish I knew what he does that I do not," Soma sighed. Then he smiled at Agni. "But I have you, Agni, and you are everything I could wish for in a _khansama_ and, even more, in a companion. And that is more than enough for me, and more than I deserve."

"It is far less than you deserve," Agni disagreed. "You deserve far more than one such as I, my prince. But you took me in and for that I will be forever grateful. I owe you everything."

"And you have repaid me many times over," replied Soma, then wondered, "I wonder how Ciel met his _khansama _to have as close a bond as they do?"

"However they did," Agni stated. "It must have been quite striking, for such a bond to form."

"Indeed," Soma agreed.

For a few moments, they watched the pair argue back and forth in silence.

"They interact seamlessly," Agni commented, looking ever-so-slightly wistful. "Do you recall when they brought Scotland Yard to Lord Ciel's manor? They were working together perfectly. Lord Ciel managed to keep their guests completely distracted from myself and Mister Sebastian while he was preventing me from coming anywhere near the commissioner."

"And even when we did come, they covered it up without even needing to talk about it," Soma nodded. "It was magnificent."

"Such a bond I have never seen before in my life," Agni put in.

"Someday, we will be as close as they are," Soma vowed.

"Yes, my prince," Agni agreed. "Someday we will."

* * *

**Well, that came out of absolutely nowhere. It's a very different style from everything else I've put up. All the same, I hope that you liked it, because I just spent three hours on it in the middle of the night on a school night. Sigh. Oh, well. At least I wore my brain out. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yeah, I got some inspiration to continue this. Honestly, sometimes I'm so slow. I really should have thought of putting it out in Ciel and Sebastian's point of view, only on Soma and Agni's relationship, as well. And then I didn't get any actual ideas for it until I read Sebastian's line 'I cannot believe a human being like you actually exists' and that gave me ideas. 'Cause, you know, Soma and Agni are genuinely good people, and Ciel and Sebastian... aren't. And so that got me started, giving me the beginning of a conversation between Soma and Agni... sort of... which in turn gave me ideas for their observations. So yeah... Yay!**

**Title: Love and Devotion**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: None.**

**Genre: Spiritual/Friendship**

**Warnings: None? I think.**

**Summary: ****They think that they do not understand love and devotion, faith and trust, but Agni and Soma, watching them interact, disagree. How can people who are so very close not understand things like that? Now a twoshot.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.**

* * *

Ciel unobtrusively observed Soma and Agni, who were unaware of his presence, from the other side of his library, half behind a bookshelf, actually. Sebastian stood behind him, also looking at the other pair with interest.

"They are fascinating, aren't they?" commented Sebastian.

"Quite odd," Ciel agreed. He'd never met anyone quite like them... he always seemed to attract the strangest of people. "Though obviously servant and master, they are also... almost friends."

"Though Mister Agni's virtual worship of Prince Soma and the prince's own admiration for Mister Agni is always quite obvious, there is an unusual interplay that leads one to believe that they are far closer than that," Sebastian added. His own interactions with his Young Master almost always had an air of formality to them... though to be fair, all of his Young Master's interactions were like that.

Soma said something Ciel couldn't quite hear (though he assumed Sebastian could) and Agni chuckled, making Soma grin sheepishly and laugh along.

"They are honest and friendly," Ciel commented, looking at the pair with interest. "Save for Aberline, I do not believe I have ever met a human quite as genuinely good as they."

"Indeed," Sebastian agreed. "One only rarely finds people such as them, most especially humans. It is simply against their nature."

Soma stuck his tongue out at Agni childishly for something he'd said, smiling slightly, though he soon withdrew it again to say something that appeared to be a complaint. Agni hastily began to speak, presumably trying to take it back, and Soma quickly shushed him, appearing to assure him.

"It is not as if they do not have flaws," continued Ciel, frowning slightly as he thought. "But they do not try to hide them; in fact, at times they even point them out to other people. How odd."

As if to prove his point, at that moment Soma continued, adding something to it with a guilty-looking frown, and Agni replied with a frown and something that must have been self-depreciating, because Soma frowned at him this time and appeared to scold him.

"A typical human spends most of their time concealing their flaws and pretending they do not exist," Sebastian put in. "But, as you say, they do indeed explain their own flaws quite frequently."

Agni added something to his previous statement that must have been kind, as was typical of him, Ciel thought to himself, and Soma grinned at him, hopping up and giving him a one-armed hug. Agni laughed and placed a hand on his shoulder, seeming to expand on his previous statement. Soma beamed at him and replied, making Agni smile at him.

"They are entirely unwary of touching each other," Ciel noted. "In fact, they do not seem to realize that it is unusual at all. Soma hugs Agni regularly and Agni has absolutely no problem with responding in kind, without either one appearing to really think about it at all."

"Almost as if they were equals," agreed Sebastian. "Though their near worship of each other would lead one to think that they were somehow both superior to each other."

The pair watched Soma and Agni interact, completely friendly, for another few moments.

"Soma seems to have a way of charming everyone he meets," Ciel mused. "Despite being extremely annoying, he is nearly impossible not to like."

"As do you, my lord," noted Sebastian.

"No," Ciel disagreed, annoyed. "I have a way of attracting strange, creepy men. That is something else entirely."

Sebastian chuckled. "Of course, my mistake," he said cheerfully.

Ciel grumbled.

Agni pointed something out to Soma, who looked at him, pouting. Then he nodded, appearing to sulk slightly, but to be completely ready to concede nonetheless. Agni smiled at him and said something that caused him to brighten slightly as he followed Agni out of the rapidly darkening room.

"Agni treats Soma almost like a parent to their child," Ciel commented. "He has the same care and Prince Soma acts almost like a child told to do something by their parents in reaction to much of Agni's advice, treating it like an instruction instead. I can almost believe that if Agni advised Prince Soma to take a nap, he would."

Sebastian smirked. "I do believe he would," he replied lightly. "I do wish you would do as much."

Ciel scowled at him. "I do not need naps," he denied.

"Now when did I ever say anything about naps? You ignore quite a bit of my advice."

Ciel glared at him.

"Damn demon," he grumbled.

"Thank you."

* * *

**Has anyone else noticed that on the bottom of page 107 of the fourth manga, Ciel has a demon eye? Because that's just weird. Really. Anyway, I hope that everyone got the gist of what Soma and Agni were saying (insofar as whether it was a compliment, regret, joke and whatnot) and that everyone was in character. Please tell me what you thought! Please REVIEW!**


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